Comparison

Lightmark vs Episodes

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Lightmark

This app encourages honest self-reflection by allowing users to record thoughts, emotions, and memories without the ability to edit entries after submission. It supports text, voice, photos, and videos, offering a multi-sensory journaling experience. A unique visual timeline helps users see their journey over time.

Highlights
  • Uneditable entries
  • Text, voice, photo, and video recording
  • Tag system for organization
  • Annual 'Lightmap' visualization
  • Daily timeline archive
  • Minimalist interface
Features
Read full description

Some diaries are written just for yourself. Some moments are meant to be recorded as they truly are. No need for perfection, no need to revise. Writing who you are at that moment is an honest act of existence. Lightmark is a diary app that does not allow editing after writing. It blends a sense of time with emotional expression, gently guiding you to meet yourself. 【 Philosophy · Faithful to the Present 】 Lightmark’s writing approach is inspired by the psychological concepts of “non-judgmental writing” and “immediate recording.” Once submitted, your words cannot be changed—not to limit you, but as a gentle exercise: * Accept your emotions instead of adjusting them; * Capture your thoughts as they were, not rewritten by later understanding; * Let go of “right or wrong” and “perfection,” leaving only your true self. Every Lightmark entry is an echo through time and space. 【 Recording Methods · Multi-Sensory 】 Your feelings aren’t only expressed in words. Lightmark supports multiple sensory recording options, letting you capture emotions naturally: * Text Diary: Quietly write and record inner moments; * Voice Diary: No need to organize language, just speak; * Photo Capture: One image records the world you see; * Video Clips: The authentic sound of life, the most vivid memories; * Tag System: Seamlessly insert tags anywhere in text, freely create multi-level structures (e.g., #emotion/happy, #life/family) to lightly organize your diary. Whether it’s a midnight monologue, a morning ray of light, or a fleeting tear, you can collect it your way. 【 Annual Lightmap · See Your Journey 】 Lightmark’s unique “Lightmap” forms your year in a dot matrix. Each day you write sends ripples across the map. * The more you write, the brighter that day’s light point shines; * You can add marks for special days (Unlock this feature by purchasing the full version.). The Lightmap doesn’t tell you which days you “missed” writing and won’t push you to check in. Instead, it gently shows which days were quiet or full of emotion. It’s the path you’ve walked with yourself—a commemorative map left by time. 【 Timeline Diary · Your Life Chronicle 】 Lightmark uses a “one page per day” design, automatically gathering all texts, photos, voice recordings, and videos of the day into time slices—your daily archive. You’ll find life needs no polish; just capture the moment, and time will weave your story. 【 Design Philosophy · Simple · Gentle 】 Lightmark avoids complex categories, using tags for light management, keeping only the essence of “recording.” You’re not writing tasks, but your heart’s voice. * Minimal interface for immersive writing * No distractions, no ads, no popups * Supports dark mode, fitting the quiet of night 【 Who is it for? 】 * People who want to keep diaries but can’t stick with it * People who want to record emotions but don’t know where to start * Those who love the purity of paper diaries but want better saving and searching * Anyone wanting to practice self-acceptance without being trapped by “perfection” Terms of Use: https://app.qlulu.fun/termsofuse Privacy Poclicy: https://app.qlulu.fun/privacy

About

Episodes

Features
Read full description

Episodes 是一本属于你自己的离线日记。 不必每天打卡,有事就记。日 / 月 / 年三种视图随心切换,让你随时回看一段时光。 【三大核心特点】 完全离线 所有数据只保存在你的 iPhone 上,不上传任何服务器,不需要联网,连账号都不用注册。 Face ID 加锁 私密的内容,只有你能打开。打开 App 就要解锁,合上立即上锁。 一键长图导出 把一段时光做成可分享的九宫格长图,封面、标题、标签、统计一应俱全,直接保存到相册,优雅得体地分享。 【为谁而做】 为想记录但又怕麻烦的人, 为不愿数据被云端窥探的人, 为相信生活值得被一次次重读的人。 【关于隐私】 Episodes 不收集任何用户信息,不需要任何权限以外的访问,你的所有日记加密存储在本地。 我们相信,有些时刻值得一次次重读,但那应当只属于你。

Screenshots

Lightmark3 screens
Episodes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Episodes at none against Lightmark's 3. On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Lightmark sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Episodes asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Lightmark versus Episodes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLightmarkEpisodes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (9 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings9 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer璐 秦algormula Pte. Ltd.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Lightmark

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Annual$12.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$14.99
None

Episodes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Lightmark free?
Lightmark is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Episodes free?
Episodes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Lightmark or Episodes have ads?
Neither Lightmark nor Episodes shows ads.

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